With extraordinary comprehension, I built a floating city at Hogwarts.

Page 434

“Mr. Black, it just so happens that I was looking for you.” His tone was calm and natural, as if he hadn’t understood what had just happened.

“This will help clear Harry of suspicion,” Levin said, holding up a thin, sealed brown paper document bag. “But since we can’t confront Fudge directly right now, if you want it, you have to sign a confidentiality agreement—you can’t tell anyone I gave it to you before I give you permission, not even Dumbledore.”

Sirius Black's eyes gleamed with joy. Without the slightest hesitation, he solemnly signed the confidential magical contract in the presence of Cirira and Penelope.

Levin handed the brown paper document bag to Sirius, who took it and eagerly tore it open. His gaze swept over the photograph, his nostrils flared slightly, and then he abruptly looked up at Levin, his joy mixed with a deep sense of suspicion.

"How did you get these photos?" After looking at them, Sirius carefully put the photos back into the bag.

Levin smiled slightly and explained, “When I received Dumbledore’s letter, I had a premonition that your estrangement from Harry might be exploited by some ill-intentioned people. Therefore, I decided to protect him secretly. If Harry was unable to use the Patronus Charm at the most critical moment, I would not hesitate to help him, even if it might expose my stance to Fudge.”

He paused, then continued, “Mr. Black, think about it. The root cause of this situation is that you left Harry, taking him out of your protection. Professor Dumbledore is indeed the greatest white wizard in the world, but the advice he gives you may not be the most beneficial for you. He has his own purposes. You need to learn to make your own judgments, instead of entrusting your life and Harry's future to someone else.”

Levin's words made Sirius Black on the other side nod unconsciously; it was for the same reason that he had previously lost his temper with Dumbledore.

Just then, the bearded wizard who had just slipped away rushed over in a hurry: "Blake, Fudge has moved the interrogation time forward by an hour, and the location has also been changed."

The wizard handed him a note with the new time and place written on it. He nodded to Levin, adjusted his hat, and hurried away.

Sirius quickly glanced at the note, a look of anxiety on his face:

“I’m sorry, Levin, I need to find Dumbledore immediately. He probably doesn’t know the trial has been moved up, but he’s Harry’s defense attorney, and this evidence is crucial to him.”

He finished speaking and was about to leave without waiting for Levin's response.

Levin reached out to stop him: "Wait, Mr. Black. There might not be enough time. I suggest you go directly to the courtroom."

"But Dumbledore, he..."

Blake opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Levin gave the answer directly.

"The key now is time, not Dumbledore!"

Levin said seriously, "During the trial later, you'd better act quickly and present this evidence directly. These photos are enough to prove Harry's innocence."

"That's all?" Blake couldn't believe it; things could be so simple.

“That will do!” Levin assured him. “Remember, don’t delay, lest Fudge and the others give Harry a chance to say something detrimental to him. Otherwise, they might resort to more tricks to complicate the trial.”

“I understand.” Sirius nodded, but couldn’t help asking, “But what about Dumbledore?”

“Black, you need to get used to not relying on Dumbledore as much,” Levin whispered a reminder.

Sirius Black listened to Levin's words, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

He knew Levin was right, but having relied on Dumbledore for so long, he felt somewhat lost about making decisions on his own.

But his protective instincts towards his adopted son forced him to make a quick decision, and his trust in Levin overcame his lack of confidence.

“You’re right, Levin. I’ll go straight to the courtroom now. Thank you for your suggestion.”

After saying that, Sirius turned and walked toward the courtroom.

A few minutes later, before the somber doors of the Tenth Trial Chamber, Dumbledore adjusted his signature crescent-shaped spectacles, preparing to enter.

The heavy black door was secured with a large iron lock, exuding an ominous aura. Dumbledore took a deep breath, forcefully turned the heavy iron handle, and with a dull thud, the door slowly opened.

He walked calmly and strode into the courtroom, glancing around.

He was quite confident at this point. Fudge's tricks had not worked on him. He still learned the new trial time and location and arrived at the scene on time.

He also had a witness whom Fudge was unaware of: Mrs. Figg.

Since Squibs are never taken seriously by the Ministry of Magic, it's impossible for them to know that a Squib actually lives near Harry's house.

This time, he will use the power that the Ministry of Magic despises to defeat the Ministry of Magic.

The advantage is mine.

With this in mind, Dumbledore announced in a calm yet resounding voice: "Defender of 763: Albus Percival Woolflick Bryan Dumbledore."

His voice echoed in the courtroom, drawing everyone's attention.

Dumbledore walked over to Harry, looked up, and gazed at Fudge through the crooked half-moon spectacles perched on his nose. His long, silvery-white beard and hair gleamed in the torchlight.

The members of Wizengamot were whispering among themselves, but upon hearing Dumbledore's voice, they all looked up in surprise and turned their gazes toward the legendary wizard.

There was a moment of silence in the courtroom, followed by soft laughter from a few people, not astonishment, coming from a corner of the room.

At this point, Fudge had no time to deal with him.

Sweat beaded on his bald forehead, and he frowned, looking completely lost.

Beside him, Umbridge was frantically gesturing and explaining something to Sirius, who was standing in front of them, roaring that the Ministry of Magic should investigate the relevant officials for their mismanagement of the Dementors.

As for Harry, the defendant, he did not sit in the central dock, but instead casually sat on a bench to the side, sharing snacks that Levin had brought and chatting and laughing with him.

"Hmm...hmm?" Dumbledore seemed a little surprised; he hadn't quite grasped the situation.

Everything was different from what I had expected.

Shouldn't the current situation be one where Fudge is aggressive, Black is extremely anxious, Harry is at a loss, and everyone is just waiting for me to save the world?

"It's over!" Harry couldn't help but remind him. "Headmaster, the trial is over, and the Ministry of Magic's charges against me are unfounded."

Harry had already learned from Sirius that he hadn't received any news from the wizarding world for a whole month, and the culprit was actually Dumbledore, who had asked them not to contact him.

Because of this incident, he was initially very dissatisfied with Dumbledore's actions, but seeing Dumbledore standing there looking both embarrassed and ashamed, he couldn't help but feel pity for him.

Dumbledore paused for a moment upon hearing this, before finally managing an unnatural smile.

----------

The photo shows Penelope.

Chapter 485 The Deal with Fudge

The heavy doors of the courtroom slowly opened, and the members of Wizengamo filed out, their robes rustling as they walked, accompanied by hushed discussions and whispers.

Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge stayed behind, with Umbridge's gaze fixed on Harry as if she wanted to pierce a hole through him.

Harry felt extremely uncomfortable under this scrutiny and ran away from the interrogation room as if fleeing.

Seeing that most of the people had left, Fudge approached Umbridge and said in a reproachful tone, "Dolores, you must keep your men in line. I don't want to see any more trouble."

“Yes, yes, Minister,” Umbridge replied meekly.

She hadn't expected that Sirius had actually placed someone near Harry beforehand, and that this person had taken photos of the Dementors attacking them.

Where can we reason with this?

At that moment, Levin, who was sitting in the corner of the audience, coughed lightly and stood up.

His movements caught Fudge's attention, who abruptly stopped and frowned. When he realized it was Levin, Fudge's expression changed slightly, and he gestured for Umbridge to leave.

As Umbridge passed Levin, she flashed a fawning smile that, when it spread across her face, resembled a pink toad.

Levin suppressed his discomfort and politely nodded in return.

Umbridge seemed greatly encouraged and immediately perked up again.

She carried a large roll of parchment in one hand and a small bag in the other, and her short, stout figure quickly disappeared from the doorway of the courtroom.

“Levin, could you give me some time to talk?” Fudge invited Levin. “Trust me, it won’t take you too much of your time.”

Levin smiled slightly; this was precisely why he had stayed until the end. He certainly wouldn't refuse Fudge's invitation, so he nodded gracefully: "Of course, Minister, it's my pleasure."

“Please come with me, Levin,” Fudge said, his gaze sweeping across the courtroom. The eerie atmosphere and empty space made him uneasy, and the thought that Levin might have overheard his conversation with Dolores made him feel even more that he shouldn’t linger here.

He immediately walked out, with Levin following closely behind Fudge. The two remained silent as they walked into the elevator.

Inside the elevator, they didn't speak, only occasionally exchanging glances with other wizards in the elevator. The other wizards looked at the strange pair curiously, but the two ignored them. They went straight to the first floor of the Ministry of Magic, where the Minister's office was located.

As soon as he entered the minister's office, Fudge's expression became noticeably more relaxed.

He took off his magic robe, revealing a white shirt underneath. Then, he pulled up his dark green suit trousers and sat down behind the enormous desk. Only the atmosphere here made him feel comfortable and at ease.

He snapped his fingers lightly, and a tray immediately appeared on his desk, on which were placed fragrant black tea and golden-brown biscuits.

“Levin, come and sit down.” Fudge gestured for Levin to sit in the chair opposite him, then poured himself two cups of fragrant Ceylon lowland black tea.

As the aroma of hot tea filled the air, Fudge began to speak, “Levin, I have to be honest with you. This Harry situation really caught us off guard. It’s unbelievable that the Dementors would attack him on their own initiative. I initially thought… well, anyway, the situation is very complicated. We can’t let this escalate, or it will be devastating to the Ministry of Magic’s reputation. That’s the most important thing right now.”

As he spoke, Fudge took a few cookies for himself and then pushed the plate toward Levin.

"Try this, it tastes good."

He tried to ease the tense atmosphere with food.

However, Levin did not reach for the biscuit; he had seen this tactic many times before with Dumbledore.

Levin simply stared at Fudge, waiting for him to continue.

Levin's reaction made the monthly fee group 85!;766;3,442 free withdrawal;: take the time, yuan?! chicken thorn. hedgehog pineapple: see group introduction! add:!q no compensation to receive 50% off agent purchase;

Hundreds of books, free to find books, new ones posted from time to time! Shuji was a little embarrassed, but he still managed to give him a forced smile, just like an uncle looking at his favorite nephew.

“Levin, I hope The Quibbler will remain silent about what happened in court today.” He finally revealed his true purpose with a hint of pleading.

Levin lowered his head, lost in thought.

After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Minister, even if The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler choose not to report it, Sirius Black probably won't let it go easily. He will definitely find other media outlets to expose this matter."

Upon hearing this, Fudge's expression changed slightly, and he immediately thought of that troublesome "Rumors!" magazine.

He waved the biscuit in his hand somewhat frantically, causing a few raisins to roll onto the table.

He looked at the scattered raisins with disgust, as if they were the source of his troubles.

“Those third-rate media outlets have limited influence, far less than The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler.” Fudge tried to make his voice sound more assertive. “As long as we can ensure that these two mainstream media outlets don’t report on this, the negative impact can be kept within an acceptable range.”

Levin shook his head, clenching his fists. "Minister, we cannot evade this issue. This is indeed the Ministry of Magic's responsibility for its inadequate oversight of Dementors, and we must bear the consequences."

Fudge paused for a moment, then couldn't help raising his voice: "Does Jaina want to regain control of the Dementors?"

He mistakenly thought that Levin was implying that Jaina wanted to use this opportunity to reclaim the power that rightfully belonged to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The thought of this possibility filled him with frustration and worry.

“Minister, you’ve misunderstood. We have no intention of breaching the contract.” Seeing Fudge’s reaction, Levin quickly reassured him, “What I mean is, instead of going to great lengths to control the media and public opinion, we might as well take the opportunity to shift the blame to the person who made the mismanagement.”

Seeing Fudge's dismissive expression, Levin began his detailed analysis: "Minister, you should know Sirius Black's personality well. If we keep avoiding the facts, he'll probably protest even more fiercely, or even take more radical actions. Only by letting him see someone take responsibility and receive the punishment they deserve will he calm down."

He paused, a hint of emotion in his voice: "Think about it, he spent thirteen years in Azkaban because of a wrongful conviction. Now, his godson Harry is suffering the same injustice. With Sirius's personality—he even gave up the compensation just to see Peter get kissed by a Dementor—such a fiery temper, the longer we suppress him, the stronger the backlash will likely be."

The teacup in Fudge's hand unconsciously stopped spinning.

“…You mean to make Dolores take the blame?” Fudge frowned and hesitated. “No, if I can’t protect my own men, what will the rest of the Ministry of Magic think of me? They’ll be disheartened.”